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In the world of software, being a coding whiz is crucial, but it’s the engineers who ace communication, leadership, and collaboration that truly rise to the top.

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With more engineers working remotely and AI taking over some of the grunt work, how can you stand out in this ever-changing landscape? After speaking with countless software engineers, we discovered that being a successful CTO or landing your next engineering role isn’t just about mastering the latest tech stack - it’s about mastering the human side of the game.

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Engineers now need more than just coding expertise, they need to know how to connect, influence, and lead! 🏆🤖

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Enter: The Engineers Collective

A community to help engineers level up by not just boosting their technical skills but by building networks, sharpening leadership abilities, and teaching them to communicate like pros.

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To connect and start to build a community of software engineers, we hosted two action-packed evenings in Sydney and Melbourne, where we explored the art of negotiation and communication - skills that are key for Aussie engineers looking to accelerate their career growth, whether locally or on the global stage.

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So what happened? 🤔

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In Melbourne, founder and leadership coach, Braden Moore combined humour with tactical insights, guiding us through strategies to negotiate with confidence and creativity. Meanwhile, in Sydney, founder Osman Mah shared powerful frameworks for understanding and adapting communication styles to connect across different personalities, contexts, and cultures.

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Here's a closer look at what happened and the key takeaways the each night:

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Melbourne Event: Mastering Negotiation Tactics with Braden Moore

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🔑 Key Takeaways from Braden
Key Topic #1: Breaking Down Terminology

During the evening, Braden guided attendees through understanding key negotiation concepts - like reserve price (your absolute minimum), target price (your ideal outcome), and BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement). These frameworks equip negotiators with the clarity and confidence to approach discussions strategically and from a position of strength.

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Key Topic #2: Gender Dynamics in Negotiation‍

An eye-opening discussion revealed that women often set lower targets in negotiations - not due to skill gaps, but as a result of societal conditioning. This sparked meaningful conversations about challenging these norms in the workplace, advocating for equality, and empowering women to negotiate with confidence and ambition. The aim: to ensure women feel equipped to aim as high as their male counterparts, to support them to secure the outcomes they truly deserve and drive a cultural shift in our communities and workplaces.

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🙏 What were the workshop highlights?

• Silence Speaks Volumes: Strategic pauses aren’t just quiet moments - they shift the power dynamic in your favour.
• Win-Win Solutions: Tackling multiple issues at once opens the door to collaborative outcomes that benefit everyone.
• Practising Negotiations: We ran a pay negotiation simulation where participants stepped into the shoes of hiring managers and candidates, sharpening their perspectives and uncovering biases and strategies on both sides.

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Sydney Event: Communicating with Impact with Osman Mah

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🖼️ Framework Highlights from Osman

1. How can I introduce myself effectively?
   At the start of the evening, Osman encouraged each attendee to introduce themselves. Simple, right? Instead of a generic introduction, Osman shared an easy framework to help introduce yourself authentically - personality, professional background, and passion. This simple structure helped us to immediately foster a more meaningful connections beyond the classic networking "Hi I'm X and I work for Y".
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2. What's your communication style? 
   • Earth: Habitual and grounded.
   • Fire: Assertive and direct.
   • Air: Flexible but less direct.
   • Water: Adaptive and attuned to the audience.
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3. What type of communicator are you?
   • Peacock: Big-picture dreamers who thrive on metaphors.
   • Owl: Logical and precise thinkers.
   • Dove: Rapport builders and storytellers.
   • Eagle: Results-driven, favouring concise conclusions.
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4. Tailoring Your Message:
   Based on my communication type, how can I tailor my message to communicate effectively with others?
   
   • Peacocks: Focus on the why.
   • Owls: Present ideas with structured logic (e.g., SCAR: Situation, Complication, Action, Result).
   • Doves: Build rapport with relatable stories.
   • Eagles: Deliver your conclusion upfront and cut to the chase.

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Both events in Sydney and Melbourne provided invaluable insights into the art of negotiation and effective communication. Whether it was Braden’s engaging approach to negotiation strategies or Osman’s frameworks for connecting with diverse personalities, we were stoked to have them both share their expertise with a room of equally awesome Aussie-based engineers.

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🧨 Want to join us for our next event?

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Apply for the Engineers Collective where you get the chance to dive into a community of like-minded engineers who get it. Whether you’re learning from each other, swapping stories, or seeking future co-founders—this is the place to build connections that actually matter.

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Find out more info here >> Engineers Collective

Learn more about why we are building a network of Engineers >> Read Our Why

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Joined us for the event? DM us on LinkedIn and let us know what you thought!

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